Christmas 2009 Winter Storm

Today is the day after Christmas, 2009, which is also Caden’s First birthday, but I will blog about that tomorrow since we are having a family birthday party for him, and which I probably can’t go. :-(((

We woke to no electric at 1 am. Power came on at 11:30 this morning. We waited long enough to have heat, so once the house got down to 55 degrees, we started a fire. With both of us working, our fireplace isn't the easiest and most efficient, so we haven't started a fire for over 4 years. That may change this year, at least on the weekends. The basement feels wonderful at 74 degrees, maybe higher by now. The upstairs is a comfortable 70.

I felt good enough to venture outside late this morning. The electric truck was stuck and I wanted to see how bad the drifts were. Our neighbor's tractor had to help pull the truck out.


The truck went on down the road to find the place where the line was down.


Within an hour, we had electric. We lucked out.

Then on to the trees, the drifts, the horses.
We need to put one of these round bales out tomorrow.


Anyways, back to the Nebraska winter storms of 2009. What a mess. And I have been sick, so my husband has done chores since Wed evening. I had a terrible sore throat that almost made me cry to swallow. Then the next day, I seemed fine until late afternoonn, when I had a 102 fever that broke early Christmas morning, and I sweated so bad I thought I had put on a wet nightie. Christmas day was better, I ate and drank lots of water and tea, and chicken broth. Geez, I think this Christmas, I am losing weight, which I would prefer not to do this way! I was still achy in the thigh muscles and knee joints, and then I started coughing. The wind was blowing and Tom said he would check all the horses and feed dogs and cats.



Now the day after Christmas. Coughing off and on. Went outside mid morning to see what the storm had done.

Then....here comes another fever at 3 pm. I'm freezing and my head is so hot my lips feel like they are sunburn. Tom gives me a cold cloth for my forehead, I wrap in a fleece blanket, and sat in front of the 80 degree fireplace, trying to warm up.

Tom goes outside to do chores and shovel some snow. He's not going sledding. He's using the sled to bring some wood to the house.


During this time, I made the PW French Onion Soup, which Tom loves. I'm glad we are the only 2 eating, as I'm sure he is getting enough antibodies from me to be immune from this flu bug!

Some of my friends on HorseTrailRiders.com have been following the recipes of the Pioneer Woman.com. She seems like a bubbly person and has a unique way of telling stories. She loves photograhy and has self taught herself to edit pictures, over the last 4 or 5 years, I think, since she has starting blogging. I hope to follow her photography pages soon, from the beginning. I'm afraid it may take me years to catch up. PW cooks, does photography, home schools, decorates the lodge, and gardens. This woman does everything, and with 4 "punks" as she calls her children. The only thing she doesn't do is ride a lot, but she loves taking photos of the mustangs on their ranch, and of her children, family and friends at cattle times.

Now, an hour after shivering, I've taken my socks and sweatshirt off, washed my face with cold water, and am drinking ice cold water because now I am too hot!

Who gave me this bug? I'm after you....